Project: Angel
by Alyssia the Hedgehog
Summary: Angel 1-18 is a humanoid A.I created to aid humanity in rebuilding and keeping peace between all who meet her. Too bad O.N.I wants to use her to make super soldiers even more powerful than Spartans to take over everyone. Alone and afraid, Angel suddenly finds a friend in a certain famous Sangheili and his followers and thy must now take her to the safety of planet Siege. Rated M
1. 118 Angel

Chapter 1

"Al, can we go play now?" The little albino 10-year-old girl asked as she looked up at her creator. He smiled and gently patted her head. "In a minute 1-18; we have to finish your examination first." She smiled cutely and nodded.

"Now I want you to say my full name; Alexander St. Clair."

"Alexander Saint. Clair."

The Professor smiled and nodded. "Good girl; that was very good. Now, I want you to take control of that rat over there." He told her as he pointed at the rodent scurrying around in a cage.

1-18 nodded and closed her eyes; focusing on the rat. She reopened her eyes and they were glowing. The rat looked at her as its eyes turned red and began glowing as well. Alex smiled more and looked at her.

"Now, open the cage."

The rat moved toward the door and looked up at the lock. It stood up on its back feet and used its front paws to pull the handle of the lever up then pull it back out of its slots; easily opening the door. The rat crawled out and scurried down the table and jumped onto her shoulder. It then looked up at the Professor.

"Excellent; you can release the rat now."

1-18 closed her eyes and the rat's returned to their normal blue color. She reopened her eyes and they were no longer glowing. She took the rat and held it as she pet it's back gently.

"Did I do good?" She asked while looking up at him.

"Yes, my dear; you did very good."

"Can I go play with Ciel now?"

Alex nodded and patted her head. "Alright, I suppose that's enough for today. We'll continue the exam with taking control of machines and vehicles tomorrow."

"Alex?"

"Yes 1-18?"

"Why does 1-19 have a name and I don't?"

Alex paused and looked down at her. "You…want a name?"

She nodded as she put the rat back in the cage and shut the door.

"I want a pretty name."

Alex thought for a bit and rested his chin on his hand. "Well… You are from the Angel Project…so would you like your name to be Angel?"

"What's an Angel?"

"An Angel is a beautiful human-like being that has wings like a bird coming out of their back. They are very gentle but can also fight and protect those they care about."

"I have wings on my back! I am an Angel!" She smiled pointing at her back which had designs that resembled wings on her suit.

"Yes, I suppose you are!" He chuckled. "Very well; you're name from now on is Angel St. Clair and Ciel is Cielus St. Clair."

"Why do we have your last name?"

"Well you two are like my children so it's befitting to give you my last name." He replied as he walked over and knelt down in front of her. "Angel, instead of you and Ciel calling me Al I want you two to call me either Dad, Daddy, or Papa; whichever you prefer." Angel looked at him curiously then smiled her cute smile and nodded. "Okay Papa. I will call you Papa from now on!" The ten-year-old then ran out of the room and into the halls of the base.

Angel soon ran into an indoor garden where a playground was. She saw an eight-year-old albino boy sitting under the jungle gym; playing with a toy truck. "Vroom, Vroom!" He giggled as he pushed the red pickup along.

"Ciel; Ciel!" She called to the boy. He quickly looked up and smiled brightly. "1-18 come play with me!"

She giggled and ran over, climbing through the bars and sitting across from him. "I am no longer 1-18! Papa gave me a name!"

"Who Papa?" Ciel asked curiously.

"Papa is Al; he wants us to call him dad, daddy, or papa. I call him Papa." She explained.

"Oh, I call him Papa too then. What name he give you?"

"I am now Angel St. Clair," She said while pointing to herself. She then pointed at him. "And you are now Cielus St. Clair. Papa said we are his kids so we have the same last name."

Ciel smiled and nodded, showing that he understood. He then reached behind his back and pulled out a box. "Angel, I make this for you. I hope you like it."

"You made me a box?" She asked as she took it and looked at it curiously. Ciel giggled and smiled at her. "No, it inside. Daddy helped me make it."

Angel opened the box and gasped. Inside was a white stuffed toy Pegasus with blue eyes. She stared at it before slowly reaching in and picking it up. The Pegasus was plush and the fabrics were very soft.

"Daddy say he make you real one for your eighteenth birthday. Don't tell him I told you; it supposed to be a surprise." He whispered to her.

She hugged the toy tightly and smiled. "Thank you. I love it."

Suddenly alarms rang out and red lights flashed. The two children jumped and quickly got to their feet as the heard people running and screaming which was followed by loud strange popping noises.

"Angel, what going on?" Ciel cried

"I don't know, but we better find Papa!" She told him as she knelt down. "Get on, I'll carry you."

Ciel nodded and got on her back. She gripped his thighs and took off running.

"Angel! Cielus! Where are you?" Professor St. Clair yelled as he ran though the plain white halls of the base.

_"Damn O.N.I bastards cornered us before we could move to another planet! If they get their hands on Angel and…" _

He quickly shook his head, not even wanting to think about what could possibly happen. O.N.I funded the original project as a means to lengthen the life-span of a Smart A.I. by genetically creating a body for it in which the A.I could grow like a normal human but learn at its normal rate. The problem was that the body and A.I never properly synced and both the A.I and body would die within mere hours of being released from its solution-filled environment.

After roughly twenty years of failure and the War with the Covenant beginning, O.N.I gave up and scrapped the project. Alex's father, Professor Lazarus St. Clair, was devastated but never gave up. Secretly he continued to study the possibility of creating an 'A.I.H' (Artificially Intelligent Humanoid). Most decided to refer to the creations as Angels instead since they were supposed to be able to perform feats that no other being could do.

After two more years of failure and traveling he stumbled on a planet that had a massive amount of Forerunner technology. Using this technology, Lazarus discovered how to create a human being with the abilities of a smart A.I. He quickly and secretly launched the Angel Project.

His first creation was 1-01 Simon; a male with green hair and green eyes. Unfortunately the project was still flawed and Simon died after only two years of being out of his solution environment, but Lazarus and Alex learned a great deal from him. He was brilliant and even had the ability to hack into an entire base in mere seconds by just touching one of its metal walls. He could even hack into vehicles by focusing on them.

After about seventeen more years creation 1-16 Chena went crazy and killed Professor Lazarus before going into cardiac arrest and dying. Alex planned on scrapping the project there and then but found more strange Forerunner technology. He decided to study it and after about several years he created 1-17 Remus; a young man with black hair and blue eyes.

Remus lived twenty years before an accident with a fusion reactor killed him and seventy other people. It was a terrible loss but Remus was proof that the experiment was possible since he lived over twice as long as any smart A.I. He also developed the ability to even control animals then he managed to take control of people.

It was then that O.N.I became aware of the Angel Project and quickly sent funding to Alex. He knew that they wanted to use his creations for military purposes, which wasn't okay with him. He formed a plan to prevent him from taking the next creation by releasing it before it reached puberty.

Soon 1-18 Angel was created. She was the crown jewel of his, his father's, and his grandfather's life work. She was a beast with all the abilities of her previous models and a few new powers that somehow came along while she was developing. She was created primarily with Forerunner technology and it seemed that she could control and manipulate it. He originally intended her to have blonde hair and blue eyes but something happened while she was still in her fetus stage that turned her albino. At first he was worried because Albinos are frailer than normal humans, but once more something happened that instead made her stronger, faster, and better than a normal human.

When she turned ten months old he released her and raised her like a normal child. Of course he quickly became attached to her and didn't want to lose her to O.N.I. Therefore he created 1-19 Cielus when she was two. He was intended to be sent to O.N.I but he and Angel bonded almost immediately after he was released from the solution environment. His powers were made to be very weak and he didn't learn as quickly as a smart A.I.

Now O.N.I had sent soldiers to attack and kill all his people. They wanted to capture him and his two creations and steal all his data on the Angel Project. He wasn't going to let that happen. The war was over but Alex knew that if they got a hold of Angel that they could easily start another one.

He had already copied all his data into a small yet powerful handheld Cartographer and destroyed the original data along with his labs. All he needed to do now was rescue his kids and whatever staff members he could and get to his ship the U.N.S.C Andraste Fate and have Angel take them to planet Siege where his other research base was.

"PAPA!"

He saw Angel running to him carrying Ciel on her back. He quickly ran to her and hugged the two tightly. "Thank God I found you two! We need to get out of here." He spoke as calmly as possible, but it was a feudal effort. Angel could sense his emotions and knew they were in extreme danger.

"Papa, what's happening?"

"There are bad people coming to take you away. We need to get to the Andraste Fate." He replied as he took Ciel in his arms.

Angel nodded and they ran together down the halls.


	2. The Sangheili

Chapter 2

"Hmm? What is that?" A Sangheili scout asked as he pointed to an area shining off in the distance over some hills. "It shines like a large city." The Major looked and replied, "A human base. It is nothing to worry about though; just a group of scientists and a few guards there. They never come bother us and we do not bother them."

Suddenly they heard rumbling. Both Sangheili looked up and two U.N.S.C Longswords flew over them; speeding toward the distant light. The Major quickly stood up as they heard alarms coming from the distant research base.

"Major, what do you think is going on?" The scout asked.

"I do not know but I have a very bad feeling it is not something good."

"Are we going to investigate it?"

The Major stood there with his arms crossed; thinking deeply. He was given orders to guard the outpost but was also told that if anything strange happened that he was to investigate immediately. Those two orders contradicted each other. As he decided what to do the voice of a human male came over faintly on their C.O. .

"_Bzzt! _This is- _Fzzt!_-essor Ale_-Zakk!_ St. Clair! We are under att_-Kzzt!_- by O.N.I and are in need of assistance! _Koff!_"

The Major looked at the Scout then to the lights in the distance as small explosions from grenades and gunfire began. He had made his decision. "Get two other Scouts and go see what is happening over there."

"Shipmaster, we are being hailed by the outpost on planet Andraste." A Sangheili in Special Ops armor told the white armored Sangheili sitting in a floating chair.

"Put it on the main screen." He instructed. The Sangheili nodded and soon the screen turned on and standing there was the Major. "Major Dros, what do you have to report?"

"There seems to be a situation over at the human research base." Dros replied.

The shipmaster scoffed and waved it off. "Leave the humans be. They can deal with their own petty issues. I am certain their O.N.I soldiers will be able to handle whatever is attacking them."

"That's just it Sir. We received a distress call from a Professor St. Clair. It was a bit scrambled but from what I could make out it is O.N.I that is attacking them."

The Shipmaster straightened up a bit and looked at him. "Why would they attack their own?"

Just then the door slid open and a Sangheili in ornate armor walked into the Bridge. The Shipmaster looked back at him. "Arbiter, you are still awake?"

"It is my duty to keep an eye on things around here. I cannot do that too well when I am asleep." He replied with a smile. "What may I ask is going on here?"

"Professor St. Clair is under attack by his own people in O.N.I. They're laying waste to the research base as we speak."

The Arbiter's smile quickly vanished.

"I have already sent three scouts out to the base. They should be just about-"

Suddenly, one of the Scout's voices came over the C.O. . "Major, we have arrived at the research facility."

"What do you see?" He asked.

"The O.N.I soldiers are massacring all who are in the building. They also seem to be looking for something."

"This is the Arbiter, turn on your visual cameras so we can see for ourselves."

Soon, two smaller screens lit up and showed a horrible sight. The research base was in ruin. Most of the facility was burning and portions of it had been blown to pieces. Scientists were being lined up and gunned down. It was a sickening sight.

"Genocidal barbarians!" The Shipmaster growled.

He suddenly heard the door open and saw the Arbiter beginning to walk out.

"Where are you going Arbiter?"

"To see if I can aid Professor St. Clair."

"We should not get involved in this. It has nothing to do with us."

"Hey, what is that?"

Thel and Rtas turned quickly and looked at the monitor. On it they could see a small human running from the base. By her tiny size, they assumed she was a child; a strange looking child.

"What is a human child doing in that base?" Rtas asked as she stopped and looked back at the burning base.

From what he could see her hair was white, her skin was pale and her eyes were red. She wore a bodysuit that had strange red symbols all over it. Some areas were stained with blood. He suddenly three Spartans in black armor come out of the base.

"Over there! Capture it on the double!" One of them yelled as the small child took off into the jungle. They quickly pursued her as others stayed and laid waste to the base.

"What shall we do?" One Scout asked over his COMM.

"Pursue the child; there is something about her and they want her. Capture her before they do." Rtas replied.

The monitors turned off as Thel looked at Rtas. "I must go."

"I understand; I am aware of your friendship with that Professor. Be careful down there." Rtas told him.

Thel nodded and with that he walked out of the bridge.


	3. Escape

Chapter 3

Angel ran as fast as she could; tears streaming down her cheeks. She could hear the heavy footsteps of the black-armored soldiers chasing her but they seemed to be the furthest thing from her mind at the moment. All she could think about was the horror she had just witnessed moments ago; a horror that shattered her heart.

Just moments ago…

Alexander took the two children into a special room and locked it down. He panted and wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked at them. "Are you two okay?"

"Papa why are these people after us?" Angel asked.

"It's not me and Ciel they are after Angel…" He said as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "It's you they want."

The little Albino froze and stared at him. She didn't understand why they would be after her. She didn't do anything wrong. Alex could see the confusion in her eyes and he sighed.

"Your powers and abilities were meant to aid humanity and alien alike; to bring peace to all. But O.N.I now wants to turn you into a weapon and I cannot allow them to do that." He told her as he gave her the small storage Construct. "Listen to me very carefully Angel. I need you to take this and run. Run as fast as you can; don't stop and don't look back. Remember that base we flew over before; the one with the aliens?"

"Y-Yes, Papa."

"Good girl; I want you to take this and run to that base. Give this to the Sangheili known as The Arbiter. He wears gold ornate armor. Don't give it to anyone else but him, okay?"

"But Papa what about you and Ciel?" She asked as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I lead bad people away from you. They think I you and I lead them away while you escape to meet aliens. Then I lose bad people in woods and come to base too."

Alex stroked Ciel's head. "We will distract them while you escape. You keep running and don't stop until you reach the base."

"B-BUT!" Angel stuttered as she began crying. Alex hugged her tightly.

"Please Angel… I know this is hard, but you must do it. I'm so proud of you and all you've accomplished."

Suddenly there was a loud boom as the metal doors burst open from a rocket launcher attack. Angel, Ciel, and Alex all jumped and quickly ran as a group of Spartans in black armor came in. As Angel and Ciel rounded the corner they heard a loud pop followed soon after by a thud behind them. They turned and saw Professor St. Clair lying there motionless.

"PAPA!" Angel shrieked as she and Ciel ran to him.

Alex looked faintly up at his creations; blood pouring out of a large bullet wound through his back that went cleanly through his body. "R-Run A-An-Angel…! G-GO NOW!"

"NO PAPA I WON'T LEAVE YOU!" She cried as she tried to help him up. Getting blood on her bodysuit.

The Spartans came around the corner and aimed at the two children. Ciel quickly grabbed ahold of Angel's arm and pulled her away. The two ran down the hall, leaving the Professor. One of the Spartans placed their foot under him and rolled him onto his back. Alex stared up at the Spartan's yellow visor.

"Professor Alexander St. Clair, you are coming with us. Mr. Carmichael is waiting for you."

Alex smirked and began to chuckle as his vision faded and he reached into the pocket of his lab coat. "Oh really now…." He yanked out a grenade and pulled out its pin. "Over my dead body…"

Angel and Ciel both froze as they heard an explosion come from where they left Alex. She tried to run back but Ciel grabbed her hand and shook his head. "No Angel; Papa gone and we must go before base go too!" He told her as they continued running through the labyrinth of hallways. Eventually they could see an exit.

"Hurry Ciel; we gotta go find the aliens!"

"ANGEL!" Ciel shouted as a gun went off. He pushed her out of the way just before another black armored Spartan standing in a hallway to the left of them pulled the trigger on its shotgun. He gasped as a missive hole was blown through his chest. Angel stared with wide eyes as the last person she knew fell to the ground.

"CIEL? CIEL!" She cried as she picked him up in her arms. He stared faintly up at her as blood streamed out the sides of his mouth and his wounds. Angel trembled as she held him close and shut her eyes tightly. "Please don't leave me, brother…" She whispered faintly in his ear but her words fell on deaf ears.

Ciel's body stiffened and became cold. Angel lifted her head up high and let out a high pitched wail as tears poured down her cheeks. It was then a darker side to her awoke. All she craved now was blood vengeance. She stared down at Ciel as the black armored Spartan approached.

"Sir, I have detained it. I will bring it to you shortly." It said over its COMMs.

He began to reach for her when she quickly looked at him with her crimson eyes. She stood up with Ciel's body in her arms. The markings on her bodysuit began glowing. Soon strange red markings formed all over her body including her face. Her eyes glowed brightly as her hair flew upward as if she were standing on a running fan.

The Spartan quickly stepped back and shot at her with its shotgun. The rounds seemed to bounce off of some type of invisible force field and she snarled. "YOU MOSTER! BURN IN HELL!"

Suddenly, she dropped Ciel's body and clenched her fists tightly. Energy formed around her wrists and took a form that was similar to that of an energy sword except it was longer, glowed red, and had no handle. The blades merely connected to her wrists.

"W-WHAT THE-?" The Spartan managed to say before Angel suddenly lunged at him and cleaved the top half of his head off. She then spun and sliced his left arm off as she drove her other blade through his chest. The Spartan dropped to the ground within a matter of seconds.

Angel loomed over him; her fury still burning brightly. She glanced over at Ciel. Her fury slowly disappeared and all she could feel now was pain and exhaustion. She slowly walked back over and knelt beside him. She picked him up in her arms and hugged him tightly.

"I'm sorry…. I-I'm sorry…!" She cooed as she buried her face in his shoulder.

The base rumbled more as the Scorpion tanks fired upon it once more. Angel slowly put him down and rested his hands on his chest. She got up and stared down at him; remembering all the good times they had. The base rumbled again before she finally took off running as fast as she could out of the base.

_"I have to get away… I have to run and disappear…! I'll get revenge for them; all of them!"_

She disappeared into the jungle just as more Spartans pursued her.


	4. The Meeting

Chapter 4

Thel's Phantom landed at the base and he quickly stepped off with a few grunts and Jackals. Major Dros walked over to him and they locked arms.

"It is good to see you in person again Arbiter."

"The same goes to you Major. Now if you don't mind I would like to get going quickly. I need to help Professor St. Clair."

Everything fell quiet as Dros looked at the scout that had returned from the Research Base. Thel noticed their silence and immediately became uneasy.

"What is it; has something happened?"

"Arbiter… Professor St. Clair is dead."

Thel froze and stared at the Major. "…Tell me everything…"

Major Dros looked back at his Scout who walked up beside him and looked at Thel. "Well Arbiter… After that child ran out of the base all the remaining forces either pursued her or disappeared. I went to investigate where she ran out and I found a human male who fit the description of the Professor...

"I also found another child; a boy even younger than the child that escaped. He died from a shotgun wound to the chest…"

Thel bowed his head and prayed for his fallen friend and the unknown boy before looking back up at the Scout. "Are there any other survivors?"

"No, only that child managed to escape the base. I tried to see if I could pull any information from the computers but they and the labs have been destroyed."

_"The Professor's Cole Protocol..."_ Thel thought. "Where is the child?"

"The other two of my scouts are in pursuit of her and the Spartans chasing her." Major Dros replied.

"Spartans?"

"Yes, Arbiter; Spartans in black armor with yellow visors. We counted roughly six of them with Warthogs were pursuing her."

Thel nodded showing that he understood then looked at his soldiers. "As of right now that human child is our top priority. She is the only one who may know what is going on and I want all our forces to locate and protect her from these Spartans and O.N.I soldiers. Is that understood?"

"Sir, yes Sir!"

Angel ran as fast as she could; dodging low tree branches and vines. She couldn't remember exactly where the alien base was, but she knew it was northeast of the Research Base. She could hear the loud engines of the Warthogs as they pursued her and soon she could see lights from Pelican and Falcon ships as they scoured the area for her.

_"Don't worry about them… Papa said to keep running!" _She thought as she wiped away tears.

Suddenly she heard a loud revving sound and a warthog appeared out of nowhere and charged at her. The O.N.I soldier slammed on the brakes but it wasn't enough to stop the car. Angel quickly leaped out of the way and the vehicle wrecked into a large tree.

"Damn it!" One of the soldiers yelled. Another turned a net gun at her and shot. Angel just barely avoided capture then took off through a field of tall grass. A few soldiers pursued her but she quickly lost them in the 6-foot-tall grass. When it seemed like she was in the clear the Pelicans and Falcons hovered overhead and used spotlights to shine though the darkness of the night and reveal her location.

"There; over there!" One pilot yelled over his speaker. She heard people running toward her and quickly ducked and weaved around them. She quickly ran for the edge of the field.

"GOT YOU!" A voice yelled as it grabbed her by the arm. Angel screamed as an O.N.I Sargent picked her up. She struggled and fought back hard as she heard more soldiers coming towards her.

"HELP ME!" She cried as she struggled to break free.

Suddenly, she heard something zip past her head and she and the Sargent fell to the ground. Angel noticed his grip on her hand gone limp and she quickly pushed his arms away. She got up and looked at him. In the middle of his forehead was what appeared to be some type of green glowing needle.

_"Wh-What is…?"_ Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard more footsteps drawing closer to her. She quickly ran back into the jungle; leaving the dead soldier behind her.

"Excellent shot, Kaine." One Sangheili scout said to the other as he reloaded his Carbine. "I was worried for a minute; I thought you had accidently shot her too when they both fell."

"Don't underestimate my talents, Orro. My best skill is sniping." Kaine replied.

They heard footsteps coming up from behind them and turned to see the Arbiter and Major Dros standing there with some soldiers.

"What is the status on the chase?" Major Dros asked.

"She managed to avoid them for quite some time but one of them did manage to grab her." Orro told him.

"But I took him out before backup could reach him." Kaine added.

"Well done, now come; we must get to her before they do." Thel told them.

"Oof!" Angel gasped as she tripped over a tree root protruding from the ground. She laid there, trying to catch her breath. She was hopelessly lost and her energy was almost gone. Her muscles ached as she slowly staggered to her feet and continued running.

When she ran out into a clearing Warthogs flew out of the opposite side and blocked her path. Angel turned and tried to run the other way but two more Warthogs cut her off. Soon the Pelicans and Falcons were flying overhead; she was completely surrounded.

"Don't make any sudden moves or we will open fire!" A pilot yelled to her over the speaker.

Angel trembled as some black armored Spartans began to approach her. She panicked and tried to run but one Spartan shot a Net Gun and easily captured her. She fell to the ground and struggled hard; trying desperately to escape.

"NO! LEAVE ME ALONE MONSTERS!" She yelled at them.

One Spartan with a long scratch across his chest plate grabbed ahold of the net then turned on his COMM. "We've captured it Mr. Carmichael. We will be back within minutes."

Angel screamed and struggled as another Spartan grabbed the net and they began dragging her toward a landing Pelican.

"Major, we have movement!" An O.N.I Soldier yelled as he looked at his radar. Everyone stopped and looked around.

"Where at, Corporal?" The Spartan with the chest plate asked aggressively.

"All around us Sir!"

Suddenly two strange orbs flew into the center of the circle and landed in front of the two Spartans. "What-?"

The orbs suddenly lit up brightly; blinding all those around them. Angel shut her eyes tightly and kept them shut, even when she heard gunfire and something running straight at her. She was suddenly scooped up into strong arms and squeaked a little when they held her close to their owner. She could hear two heartbeats through their armor and felt their muscles move as they ran from the stunned and blinded group.

After a few minutes of running her carrier slowed to a stop. Her eyes were still shut and hurting from the strange shining orbs but she could still hear. Angel heard multiple footsteps approaching and they varied from little puttering sounds to loud and heavy steps.

"That was a little reckless, Arbiter. If you had been a second later I fear you may not have escaped that so easily." She heard a male voice say.

"_A-Arbiter?"_

"It may have been reckless but I did manage to get the child from them." Her carrier replied. She suddenly felt them put her down on what felt like some smooth surface; the hood of a vehicle perhaps.

"Why are her eyes shut so tightly?"

"The flares were pretty close to her so she may be in a bit of pain from their flash."

Angel heard a strange sparking sound and felt something grab ahold of part of the net. She then heard a new strange voice. "They netted her like she was a wild animal; how barbaric."

Angel felt the net loosen and fall off her and she finally could rub her eyes. Something poked her arm and she heard another voice. "What are all these strange red symbols on her clothing?"

"Perhaps it's just a design and nothing of significant importance."

Angel finally began to open her eyes and what she saw made her freeze like a statue. Standing round her were aliens and she was sitting on an alien vehicle known as a Wraith. She could count four different species and thanks to her Papa's lessons she knew their true names and the names humans used for them.

First were the little aliens that had strange triangles sticking out of their backs. Humans called them Grunts but their actual name was Unggoy. Second were the strange, frail looking aliens that were carrying energy shields. She knew they were Kig-yar but humans simply called them Jackals. Third were the aliens that had four mandibles and four fingers. They were Sangheili or Elites as humans referred to them. They were also called Split-Lips but she didn't like that name; it sounded too mean for her liking. Last were the large aliens that had big shields and a powerful plasma cannon. They were Hunters or Lekgolo.

Angel looked around at them feeling very frightened when she felt a hand gently rest on her head. She looked up and saw a Sangheili in gold ornate armor. "Be calm; none of us have any intention of harming you." He told her as he gently stroked her head.

She stared up at him in surprise as a Sangheili in red armor approached. She recognized his voice.

"Arbiter, we must go. Those humans will be on us in minutes."


	5. Angel and Thel

Chapter 5

Thel walked with his soldiers and the human child followed right behind him. He made sure to have guards on every side of her; protecting her in case of an attack by the humans who were hunting her down. He glanced back at the child, not understanding why O.N.I was even after her.

Her hair, eyelashes and eyebrows were pure white while her eyes were red. Her skin was a bit pail and her scent was rather strange; she didn't smell like a normal human…but other than that she seemed to be no different from others of her species.

Angel kept her head down and her eyes on the ground where she was walking. Although the ornate armored Sangheili assured her that they were not going to harm her she still felt afraid. They were all so much taller and stronger than her; the only ones she would stand a chance against were the Unggoy but they had weapons to protect them.

"_Even if I did manage to get away, I would only be chased after by them and O.N.I…"_

She looked up but quickly looked back down when she saw the ornate armored Sangheili looking back at her. She hoped that he hadn't noticed her glance. Her feet were hurting and her muscles ached. She never went through anything like this and right now she was exhausted. She stumbled a couple times while they were walking but quickly corrected herself; not wanting to show any weakness around the aliens.

"Finally…" She heard one of the other Sangheili sigh.

They had arrived at the alien base. Angel looked around; their base was very different from her home and there were even more aliens around. They were all looking at her causing her to freeze like a deer in headlights. Fear crept back into her heart.

Thel noticed the child frozen in place and knew that she was scared. He couldn't blame her; she was the only human among them and to only make matters worse she was a lot smaller than most of them. "Come child. Don't worry about them. As long as you behave and don't cause any troubles you will be just fine."

She looked up at him then back down and nodded. Thel continued walking and she followed quietly behind him into a bunker. There was a small room that had a bed in it just to the right of them. "Stay in here while I go contact the Shipmaster. I will be back to speak with you privately."

Once more Angel did what she was told and walked into the room. She looked back at him for a second as he talked to a couple other Sangheili wearing blue minor armor. They nodded then stood in front of the doorway with their backs turned towards her. She guessed they were to guard her and prevent her from wandering off. It didn't matter to her; she didn't want to go anywhere, she just didn't have the strength to.

Angel climbed up onto the bed and laid down with her head against the pillow. Now that she wasn't running for her life, thoughts about today's occurrences filled her mind; Papa's and Ciel's deaths, the murdering of the people she grew up with and the burning of her home all sank in. She was all alone now with strangers that she wasn't certain she could trust.

Tears began to form and stream down her cheeks. _"Papa… I'm scared… Why did you tell me to come to the alien base and give this storage device to the ornate armored alien? He's the scariest one of them all… I…I don't want to be here…but I'm too tired to try to escape…"_ She buried her face in her pillow and rolled in the bed so her back was facing the door; she didn't want the guards to see her crying.

"This is the Arbiter calling the Shadow of Intent; come in Shipmaster."

The screen turned on and sitting there was Rtas. "I hear you Arbiter; what is the situation down there? Did you find Professor St. Clair?" He asked.

Thel looked down quietly and shook his head. "I am afraid that St. Clair died in the attack on his Research Base as did all the other Professors."

Rtas looked at him with a quiet pause. "….Oh…I see."

"But we do have one survivor; a female human child managed to escape and we brought her back to the base."

"A child? How did a mere child escape when all others did not?" Rtas asked.

Thel shook his head. "It seems that she is the one they are after. For reasons unknown to us, they seem to be very desperate to capture her. They had Spartans in black armor after her."

Rtas crossed his arms and went into deep thought. "Using Spartans just to capture one child? Something is definitely amiss…and she is the key to it all."

"I am going to speak with her after we finish our conversation. Hopefully she's calmed down enough to try and communicate."

"She has been refusing to talk with you?"

"No, she seems to be in a state of shock…I cannot blame her though…"

"As cannot I… Thank you for the update and do your best to find out what she knows." Rtas told him.

Thel nodded and smiled a little. "I will talk to you later my friend."

Rtas merely nodded and the screen went blank. Thel sighed and began walking back to the room he left Angel in. He wondered how the child was connected to all of this and Professor St. Clair. From what he remembered the Professor never had children and neither did any of the other Professors.

"_So where did this little girl come from and why is she so important to O.N.I that they would destroy their own research base and kill one of their most brilliant minds just to get her?"_

When he reached her room he spoke with the guards he left to watch over her.

"Has she given you any trouble?"

"No, Arbiter; the prisoner has been very quiet." One of the minors replied.

"She is not a prisoner and do not call her such a thing again. The last thing we need is for her to think we are just as bad as those who destroyed her home."

The minor quickly bowed his head in shame. "I-I am sorry Arbiter."

Thel placed a hand on his shoulder. "Relax, it was an innocent mistake." He then entered the room. The child was lying on the bed with her back turned towards him. At first he thought she was asleep and approached quietly then placed a hand on her shoulder. The child suddenly jumped in a startled panic and almost fell off the bed. He grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"Be calm, it's only me," he told her. He noticed tears streaming down her cheeks as she stared up at him still in a bit of a panic. He picked her up and placed her back on the bed. She quickly dropped her eyes to the floor. Thel looked at her curiously.

"_Why won't she make eye contact with me? I have never met a human that was so timid."_

She sat there quietly; Thel didn't know how to approach this. He never dealt with a human child. This was new ground with him and never having kids of his own, he was uncertain how to speak with her. He cleared his throat and decided to wing it and hope for the best.

"Ahem….umm…what's your name?"

No response; he decided to try a different question.

"Where are your parents?"

No response. _"Hmm… This is not working. Maybe I could-huh?"_

The child suddenly held her hand out and gave him a storage construct. He took it then looked at her but she still was looking at the ground when he finally heard her speak.

"…Papa… Professor St. Clair wanted me to give that to you…" She spoke softly.

"_Papa? Professor St. Clair is her parent? How is that possible?"_ "What is your name?"

"….Angel St. Clair, Sir…"

"Is Professor St. Clair your biological father?"

She merely shook her head. "No, Sir…"

"Then where are your real parents."

"I do not have parents, Sir…"

Thel paused and thought deeply. _"An orphan? Well that is more believable than St. Clair having actual kids." _"The boy that was found where you exited, was he your brother?"

"…No…umm…I don't know…Sir."

"What do you mean by that?"

"We were created the same way…and we had very similar abilities…but he was a lot weaker than me… Papa made him so that he was destined to fail…"

Now, Thel was really confused. "Please, Angel… I do not understand. Can you explain to me what exactly was going on in that Research Base and who…or what you are?"

Angel grew quiet again. Thel sighed and sat beside her. "Listen, I know things have been turned upside-down for you recently, but I need you to tell me everything. Professor St. Clair… I knew Alexander well. He was a good friend of mine and I want to know the reasons why he and his coworkers were murdered."

"All the information you want is on that storage device." She replied quietly to him.

"…I see…very well then…" He said as he stood up. "Thank you for your cooperation, Angel. Now get some rest, you deserve it."

Angel didn't reply or even budge from her spot. Thel looked back at her and saw the deep sadness in her eyes. "And I am sorry for your loss…"


	6. The Construct

Chapter 6

"Play content…" Thel told the voice activated computer after he plugged the storage construct into it. Soon the screen turned on and sitting on a chair in the center of the picture was a human male in his late forties. His eyes were azure and his hair was black and short.

_"Alexander…"_

"Hello there Thel, it's been a long time since we last spoke. If you are seeing this then…then it means I am no longer amongst the living. It also means you found my life's work."

_"Life's work; what is he talking about?"_

"I'm sure you don't know what I am talking about so I'll start from the beginning…"

"Al! Al where u at!" Someone yelled in a broken and child-like voice.

Alex looked over and Thel stared as he picked up a five-year-old Angel wearing a white dress and white sandals and set her on his lap. He whispered something in her ear and she looked at the camera curiously with her bright crimson eyes.

"This is Creation 1-18; my, my father's, and my grandfather's life's work. She appears to be human but she is so much more. You see Thel, even before the war was going on O.N.I wanted a Smart A.I that could last a very long time. Smart live roughly seven years before they go insane and destroy themselves. This was a problem because these would become dangerous and could cause heavy casualties if left unattended. O.N.I wanted a solution….."

Angel laid there on her bed unable to sleep. She was afraid that if she tried to all she would have is nightmares about what happened today. She knew she wouldn't be able to bear such a burden. She had to get out of the room; out of the alien base. She needed time and air to think. She got up and snuck over to the door. When she opened it a little she could see the two Sangheili standing guard. She quickly thought up a plan to get around them. She rummaged around through some containers in the room and found a hologram projector. She placed it on her back and it attached to her bodysuit.

"Ability upgrade attached." She said to herself quietly then picked up a voice filter. She modified it and turned it into a necklace. After putting it on she tweaked it so she would sound like the ornate armored Sangheili. "Alright, we're ready to go." She said with Thel's voice.

Angel crept up quietly to the door and opened it enough so she could see down the hall and around the corner. She then aimed the hologram down around the corner just out of the guards' sight then fired it up. A hologram replica of Thel appeared and she smiled. _"Now let's see if this works… I hope it does…"_

She used a small controller to make the hologram walk out from around the corner and towards her and the guards. The two guards looked at him curiously.

"Arbiter, we did not expect you back so soon. Have you already finished going over the data in that storage Construct?" One guard asked.

"Yes… I have. You may go and rest now; I will be guarding the prisoner for the rest of the night. I have quite a few questions I wish to ask her." Angel spoke through the filter as the Hologram Thel's mandibles moved; making him appear that it was he who was talking.

"Are you certain?" The other asked.

"Yes, I believe that I can handle one human child by myself or are you two doubting me?"

"N-No Arbiter! We do not doubt you!"

"Calm yourselves, there is no reason to be panicking like that."

"Y-Yes…perhaps you are correct. We will turn in for the night." One of the guards replied.

The two walked away quickly and Angel opened the door. "Haha, way too easy."

She then looked up at the hologram and turned the filter back on. "It seems we're the smarter of the species here." It mouthed as the words came out of the filter. "Now, let's get going before the real Arbiter decides to come back for another visit."

Thel walked out of his room, contemplating his thoughts and all that he had just learned from Alex's storage construct. He suddenly noticed the Sangheili he had put in charge of guarding Angel's room walking towards him.

"What are you two doing here? I thought I told you to stay there and watch the child."

The two Sangheili looked at each other then looked at Thel with quite a bit of confusion. "Arbiter, you were just down there. How did you get up here so quickly?"

"What are you talking about? I have not left my room since I left her with the storage construct in my hand."

"That's not right… You just told us that you were going to watch over the prisoner for the rest of the night and you had lots of questions to ask."

Thel and the two guards stood there in silence for a moment then they all took off back down the hall to the room. Thel opened the door and saw that the boxes of broken ability amplifiers were opened and Angel was gone. Thel growled as one of the guards raised the alarm.

"Attention; the child has escaped! All units scan the area and recapture her! Repeat; the human child has escaped!"

_"…She's not human… She's something else entirely." _

"Oh boy, I'm in trouble." Angel said to herself as she snuck quietly through the outside of the base. The alarms were going off and she had heard one of the guards yell over the loud speakers.

She had repaired and taken a few more ability amplifiers that she thought would be helpful. She had packed a jetpack, active cammo, and a drop shield amplifier in a bag that looked like a purple backpack with blue lights on it.

She heard footsteps and quickly attached the modified active cammo amplifier to her back. She activated it and melted into the scenery. A small group of Grunts and Jackals ran right past her and around to the other side of the building.

"Heehee, fooled them. This is kinda fun." She giggled as she deactivated the active cammo and ran towards the woods across the landing pads.

When she was just a few feet from the tree line she was suddenly tripped and fell to the ground. Before she could even figure out what happened something grabbed her ankle and lifted her off the ground upside-down. She looked and saw a large Hunter holding her up to where she could look at him directly in the eye. She watched as he turned on his C.O.M.M.

"I found her, Arbiter."

"Good work Targus, I'll be over to your location in a moment." Thel replied with a growl.

Angel could hear in his voice that he was irritated by her escape attempt.

"Understood. I'll wait for you here."

"Hey, put me down!" Angel yelled at the Hunter who only stared at her.

"You're causing a lot of headache around the base today, Tiny One." He told her.

"Hey I'm not tiny! You're just gigantic! Let me leave and I won't cause any more problems!"

"I cannot do that. The Arbiter wants you to remain here where you will be safe and protected." Targus replied.

"I don't want to be protected! I'm perfectly capable of defending myself when I have to!"

Targus chuckled and looked at her "Not from where I'm standing, Tiny One."

"STOP CALLING ME TINY!"

Thel heard the little girl yelling and quickly ran with Major Dros and some others to where they were. When they reached their location they were surprised to see Targus holding a flailing and yelling Angel by her left ankle and laughing as she tried to hit him. "My my, you certainly are an energetic child, Tiny One."

"I'M NOT TINY! I'M TEN YEARS OLD!" She yelled as she flailed her arms around trying to hit him hard but her strikes weren't even noticeable to the large being.

Targus then noticed Thel and the others. "Ah, looks like the fun is over, Tiny One."

"What are you…uh-oh." She said as she turned and looked at Thel.

He growled and walked over as Targus chuckled. "Someone's in trouble."

"Put me down! Put me down! Put me down!" Angel whispered and she tried to pull her leg out of the Hunter's grasp.

Thel took ahold of her wrist then looked at Targus. "You can put her down now; I'll handle it from here."

The hunter nodded and gently put her on the ground. "Please be gentle with this Tiny One, Arbiter. She is very amusing to me."

Thel nodded and pulled her to her feet. "What did I tell you? Behave and don't cause trouble." He growled.

Angel stared at him and pulled against his grasp. "Let go of me!"

"And let you run off again? I don't think so." He told her.

"I'm NOT your prisoner!" She yelled at him, surprising the Sangheili.

"Who said you were a prisoner, child? You are no prisoner."

"Oh and I suppose you tell all your guests to stay in their rooms and place guards in front of their doors so they can't leave at all? I may be just a child but I'm far from stupid." She told him as she finally pulled out of his grasp.

"I'm not your prisoner and I'm not your problem. My Papa told me to give you that storage device; that's it. I accomplished his last wish… now I'm leaving...and you have no right to stop me."

"On the contrary, I do… Creation 1-18."

Angel paused and looked up at him.

"I know all about you child…who you are, what you are, what you were created for, and why O.N.I wants to capture you. That storage device told everything."

"Arbiter, what are you talking about?" Major Dros asked.

Thel approached her and knelt down in front of her. "You're not human although you appear to be. You are much more than that. A creature meant to bring peace to all species and protect them from evils like the Flood and wars."

Angel back away from him a little. "Why would Papa tell you all of that?"

"Because I was a close friend of his… and now I am your guardian until further notice."

"W-What?"


	7. Agreement

Chapter 7

"There's no way you're going to be my new Papa!" Angel yelled at Thel. She couldn't believe that Alex had pretty much given her to an alien without saying anything to her. She was angry.

"I did not say I was going to be your new Papa. I am only looking after you for a while." He replied.

_"She may be one of the most powerful beings in the universe but she is still only a child and she hasn't yet unlocked her powers. She needs to be cared for and protected and that is why I must ask you to take care of her Thel… _

"_You see, you are the only one I can trust with such an important task…and I think it would be good for her to get acquainted with different species at an early age…" _ Alexander's words echoed in the Sangheili's mind.

"You are not at an age to be alone. If O.N.I gets ahold of you then your life might as well be over." He told her.

"I don't see how that's your problem, Arbiter." Angel said bluntly as she crossed her arms.

"It will be if they turn you into a weapon they can use against my people."

Everyone became quiet including Angel. "W…What?"

"Oh dear, so this is where you ran off." A voice chuckled.

Angel jumped and looked around. Thel suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him as he stood up growling. Standing at the edge of the base was a human male in a white lab coat. His hair was short and grey and his eyes were hazel. Standing around him were the black armored Spartans.

"Arbiter, I think you have something of mine. I would greatly appreciate it if you returned it to me without any problems." The man smiled.

All of a sudden, Angel felt terrified and hugged Thel's leg. The Sangheili glanced down at her then looked back at the human and Spartans. "And you are?"

"Carmichael, James Carmichael; I work for O.N.I."

"You mean the very people who destroyed the research facility and murdered all who were there including Professor St. Clair?"

"St. Clair's death was a…unfortunate accident, but such accidents are expected in his line of work." He smiled and looked down at Angel. "Now, come along dear. We have much to discuss."

"No!" Angel yelled at him, surprising the man and his group. "I will not go with the monsters!"

"You do not have a choice. You are O.N.I property and as such you will obey your owners." He told her with harshness in his voice.

Thel got in front of her protectively and activated his energy sword. "Do not talk to her like that. She is not your property."

"Oh? And what business is it of yours split-lip?" One Spartan asked as he aimed at Thel.

"I am her guardian…for as long as she wants me to be." He replied as he looked down at Angel. She looked back at him in surprise.

"You; her guardian?" James asked laughing. Thel and Angel both looked at him as did the other aliens. "You must be losing your mind if you think she would even want to stay anywhere near you. She would rather be with other humans, isn't that right 1-18?"

"And what is that supposed to-?"

"Shut up!" Angel suddenly yelled. Everyone paused and looked at her as she stepped forward. The markings on her body suit were glowing. "I'm tired of everyone thinking they know what's best for me and thinking they know what I want! I'm perfectly capable of figuring things out for myself!"

"Now, now dear there's no reason to get upset." James said.

Thel noticed the sudden nervousness in his voice and remembered something that Alex had mentioned in the message.

"_Angel's power is not yet fully controllable and when she gets angry of put under extreme emotional pressure her power can awaken and cause adverse effects on technology around her." _

"Arbiter, the Wraiths! They're moving without any drivers!"

Thel and Major Dros looked back and were shocked to see four of their Wraiths on and moving towards the O.N.I officers.

"Mr. Carmichael! The Falcon, I've lost control of the Falcon!" The pilot yelled over the C.O.M.M. A few seconds later the Falcon flew over and slowly turned around; aiming all of its guns at them. They could see the pilot panicking in the cockpit and trying to regain control. James quickly looked at the child.

"You little- You're the one doing this!" He yelled as the black armored Spartans aimed their guns at her. Thel suddenly jumped in front of her and growled. Targus suddenly stood beside him.

"I will not allow you to hurt the Tiny One!" He yelled as he aimed his plasma Cannon arm at them.

Soon, all the aliens on the base were standing beside the two, unwilling to allow them to harm Angel. The O.N.I officers backed up a little.

"Leave…there is nothing for you here." Thel told them.

James stared at him darkly. "You've just sealed your fate." He then turned around and walked with his Spartans. "Let's report back to the Frigate. We'll be needing reinforcements." The group disappeared into the jungle.

Angel released the Falcon and the craft quickly sped off. She then suddenly collapsed. Thel turned around and quickly caught her as she fell. The symbols on her suit stopped glowing and he saw the Wraiths shut down. He looked down at the unconscious child. He sighed and gently picked her up in his arms.

"Arbiter, I think you have some explaining to do." Major Dros said.

Thel looked around at his soldiers and nodded.

"Hmm…huh?" Angel awoke in the room she had escaped. She sat up and slowly got out of bed. She then opened the door a little and was shocked when she didn't see any guards around.

"_What…? Where are they?"_

Angel walked out into the hall and looked for the Arbiter. She passed a small group of grunts who only waved at her and continued on with their business. Now she was really confused. They weren't treating her like a prisoner anymore.

"Ah, hello there Tiny One. I was worried about you." Targus smiled as he walked over to her.

"What happened last night? Where is the Arbiter?" She asked him.

"You exhausted yourself and collapsed. The Arbiter brought you back inside so you could rest. Right now he and some others went to see the ruins of the Research Base you came from." He replied.

"Oh…" Angel said as she looked down. Targus noticed and gently patted her head. "What's wrong, Tiny One?"

"I…I'm sorry about last night… I didn't mean to act so childish."

Targus just laughed and picked her up. She looked at him as he set her on his shoulder. "You are a child. How are you supposed to act?"

"Like a lady."

The hunter laughed more and looked up at her. "Enjoy being a child, Tiny One. It'll be gone before you know it."

Angel paused and nodded slowly as Targus began walking with her riding on his shoulder. He showed her around the base; answering questions she had and occasionally joking with her. Angel had become much more relaxed now that she had a new friend.

"Hey Targus."

"Yes, Tiny One?"

"Where is your partner? From what my Papa taught me your kind always travel in pairs."

Targus paused and looked down. "My partner… My partner died two years ago."

"Oh…I'm sorry."

Targus smiled a little and rubbed her leg a bit. "It's alright; I accepted it and moved on."

Thel and the others were coming back from the destroyed Research Base when he heard Angel talking.

"Papa taught me a lot about aliens. He said I was the one who would be able to bring peace to them all."

"Hmm… I will catch up with you later, Major."

Dros nodded and Thel walked away from the group. He followed her voice.

"Actually he was teaching me languages when… you know."

"Ah, what languages do you know already?"

"_She's with Targus?"_

Thel walked out into a clearing and saw the large hunter walking with her riding on his shoulders.

"I've learned the entire Sangheili language, your language, and the Jiralhane language but I don't know a lot of the other languages yet."

"You learned three languages already? Either you are very smart or you had a great teacher."

"Why can't it be both?" She asked in his language. Targus smiled and looked up at her.

"I suppose it could be both."

"I see you are doing well." Thel said as he approached them.

Targus turned around and looked at the ornate armored Sangheili, smiling.

"Hello Arbiter; we were just getting some air and speaking."

"I see; would you mind if I talked to her privately?" Thel asked.

Targus nodded and gently put Angel back down on the ground. He then stroked her head smiling. "We'll continue our discussion later, alright?"

Angel smiled a little and nodded, waving goodbye as he left.

"You have certainly cheered him up quite a bit in your short time with us." Thel told her.

"Huh; what do you mean by that?"

Thel started walking and she followed him. "Targus hasn't done so much as smirk ever since his partner died in battle. I was afraid that I would never hear him laugh again but thanks to you I don't have to worry anymore."

"It's not like I did anything special. I just talked to him…well at first I tried to fight him."

Angel suddenly heard Thel chuckle and she looked up at him. "What's so funny about that?"

"The fact that you tried to take on someone who's probably three times your height and ten times your weight with your bare hands. You looked pretty funny when you were flailing your arms around trying to punch him."

"It's not my fault! Papa didn't teach me to fight."

"Well that's going to change." Thel said as he turned around and looked at her as he knelt down. "I am going to teach you how to fight….if you wish to stay with me and allow me to, that is."

Angel paused and looked up at him surprised. "You're…giving me a choice?"

"Yes, I don't wish to be like those you have previously lived with. As much as I want you to stay I believe it is rightfully your decision."

Angel looked down and thought about it. This was the first time she had ever been given a choice and she was very happy about it. Now that she thought about it, Thel had been very kind to her even when he was mad at her for escaping. He was also someone her Papa trusted enough to reveal all their secrets to…so maybe it would be best to go with him.

"Okay, I will stay. I need to learn how to speak the Unggoy and Kig-yar languages properly anyway."

Thel smiled and was about to get up when Angel suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. He blushed and was a little stunned. "Angel?"

"Thank you…" She said quietly.

"For what?"

Angel only smiled and ran off toward the base, leaving Thel in a state of confusion.

"Come on slowpoke! Papa said you Sangheili were supposed to be fast! Was he wrong?"

Thel smiled and shook his head. "You'll regent that comment!" He yelled as he ran after her.


End file.
